Anotha Level
Product DesignAnotha Level
Product Design
Anotha Level®
Anotha Level is a lifestyle apparel brand established in the Spring of 2000 in Sacramento, California moving it’s operations to Oakland in 2003, and finally Salinas in 2011 and has been operating and producing products shared by 23,000+ happy customers across the globe.
Product Design
Apparel Brand | California
Visit anothalevel.com
EST. 2000
Circa 2000
My immediate understanding of user experience
First t-shirt design story – immediately understanding user choices not just what I thought was good.
Persona building
- Location: California, United States
- Age: 25 – 40
- Gender: Male
- Interests: Wellness, Sports and Outdoors, Music, Creative Art
- Education Level: College Graduate
- Income: $65-85K
- Relationship Status: Single
- Interested In: Art, Music, Outdoors
- Language: English
- Buying Motivation: Wants to stand out while expressing their interests in art and music
- Buying Concerns: Price conscious
Discovery and qualitative testing
Field studies
We participate and showcase our products against very steep competition in our brand niche across California and the western united states at art and music events with over 30,000+ in attendance in some locations. We use this opportunity to interview, ask questions, and research hundreds of users over the course of 3-5 days. Our E-mail newsletter campaign list has grown over 20,000.
Field Studies
Active listening and observation
I engage with customers, users, and observers – using active listening, observation, and discussion about our products, where we can improve, immediate thoughts, and perception of our brand. Including what users are looking for, what brought them to our brand, and how we can improve their experience.
We record these tests and use the discussion information to make improvements and strategize our products.
Exploration
Competitive Analysis
Looking at competitors we’re able to understand where we want to be in the market. We look at pricing structures, email campaigns and subscription strategy, social strategy, and to gain insight into the style direction for new products.
Competitive Analysis
SEO and marketing strategy
We also record how a user will take actions in their marketing funnels through a complete purchase cycle to delivery and follow-up to determine how competitors are handling the user experience. Additionally we take a look into their marketing and SEO strategy using tools like SEMrush, and MOZ.
Design Review
From the beginning with every new design or product update on both the site and our physical products we conduct design reviews. We have users take a look at what improvements we’ve made, we ask questions about the new features, what stands out, what they find exciting, and what are we leaving out that they would expect to find.
User interviews
We regularly engage with customers on our private groups, social media, in-person and remotely. We assign specific tasks for users to complete to see where they are getting stuck, or having a hard time on our website. We also observe users to see how they interact with the site. In addition we also apply these interviews with our physical products. Using interviews we’re able to make changes, address needs and and understand our customers and users.
Insights
We can use Facebook insights and google analytics to research our and further understand our user personas and target demographic.
Demographic analysis
We can use Facebook insights and google analytics to research our and further understand our user personas and target demographic.
Visions for the future
Trends and forecasting
Understanding the trend design cycle we are able to forecast future trends using past, classics and identifying fads to make better design choices for timeless design, hitting popularity when needed, and identifying changes in the marketplace.
Exploring
Keyword research
We look into design and style trends using Google keyword research. We’re able to see interest or a decline in activity and make adjustments to reflect growth opportunities. Here we can see the decline of the surfing term over the last 10 years. We did some research on trend outlooks for growth using world-wide sales statistics to see that surfing is poised to make a comeback.
With the introduction with new technology inland surfing is becoming a real thing. Also looking at the competition we can see new surf brands making their mark pro surfers are establishing their own brands once again as sales within conglomerate brands are in decline leaving the door for new opportunity.
Listening to users
Analytics review
Feedback on sites – Fix problem areas, exit pages, abandonment issues, confirmation issue.
Customer reviews
Upon customer check-out we have a automated email drip system for conformation, product followup, review prompt, and finally a survey. Then they are automatically moved from a new customer list to the subscription and newsletter list for future campaigns.
Surveys
Customer reviews, surveys email campaigns, private groups, colleges, even competitor feedback.
Search log analysis
Looking at search logs for product information to make decisions for growth.
Usability-bug reviews
Looking into runtime errors and bugs in the system.
End-to-end product development
From a single idea spark to complete development of both physical and digital products. Including shipping and delivery of items.
Apparel brand
Product development
Understand
Research
Sketch
Evaluate
Source
Design
Launch
Crowd source Feedback
Make adjustments
Seasonal product deadlines in some instance beginning up to a year in advance
Marketing
Social
